1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for producing a monohydric or polyhydric alcohol by reacting an organic peroxide with hydrogen in the presence of a nickle catalyst.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known that monohydric and polyhydric alcohols can be produced by reacting an organic peroxide with hydrogen in the presence of a neutral hydrogenation catalyst. However, under the conventional reaction conditions, the nickel catalyst is very significantly poisoned by the organic peroxide. Consequently, it is only common sense that it is difficult to maintain a sufficient level of catalytic activity for a long time. In Example 3 of U.S. Pat. No. 2,879,306, 0.5 g of Raney nickel catalyst was used in the first step of the hydrogenation reaction of 6.5 g of butadiene peroxide polymer, and was removed by filtering the reaction mixture before the second step of the hydrogenation reaction. This fact shows that even though 7.7 wt.% of a Raney nickel catalyst was used relative to the butadiene peroxide polymer in the first step of the reaction, the catalytic activity of most of the Raney nickel catalyst was lost. Thus, studies have been devoted to the severe poisoning of this catalyst system and it has now been found that most of the poisoning is not permanent and that the poisoned catalyst can be reactivated. Moreover, it has been found that the lift of the catalyst by selection of conditions using catalyst can be extended to be comparable to catalytic life of catalysts employed in the hydrogenation of compounds containing carbonyl groups or unsaturated bonds.